I hate flowcharts! Harsh, yes, so allow me to explain …
As a means of mapping or modelling a process, socialising and refining it, and as a visual representation of it, flowcharts are hard to beat. They make processes easier to define, understand and follow. But as the final documented form of processes, flowcharts aren’t always effective.
It's not flowcharts per se that are the problem—it's that, often, they’re poorly drawn. And that's why I hate flowcharts.
I learned to draw flowcharts when I was studying information technology … many, many years ago. Visio (even in its pre-Microsoft form) didn't exist. We used a stencil and graph paper, and we learnt that the shapes have particular meanings and we were marked accordingly. I was so excited when something called a ‘PC’ and a tool called ‘ABC Flowcharter’ came along. Visio is a dream … if you know how to use it properly.
And that’s the problem: most of us aren't taught how to draw flowcharts or how to use the tools that draw them.
It’s common to see the wrong shapes used, the same shapes used inconsistently, the same shapes in odd sizes, different fonts and font sizes, inconsistent labels, and connecting lines that kink and overlap and generally look like spaghetti. And worst of all, these flowcharts appear to have no obvious path, pointing you left, then right, then up, then left again ... you get the picture. My reaction on seeing this type of flowchart is that it’s too confusing to try and understand it; and if it's the only documentation for the process then that's not good.
So, here are three tips for better flowcharts (and, therefore, better-documented processes).
- Use the correct shapes and use them consistently.
To use the correct shapes you need to know what the shapes mean. A quick search of the internet will help you there.
Keep shapes the same size and align them, with equal spacing between them. While this is purely aesthetic, it makes a huge difference to the initial response to the flowchart and its perceived complexity and follow-ability. It will also help to keep the connecting lines straight, without those funny little kinks.
- Have a clear pathway through the process.
Now this can be tricky, as a lot of processes have multiple pathways. Aim for the chart to flow mainly from top to bottom, or from left to right. And rather than lines pointing back to previous steps and criss-crossing each other, consider using on-page connectors. Again, this is mostly aesthetic, but it makes the flowchart’s pathway clearer and easier to follow. It also helps to have a consistent path after decisions; for example ‘yes’ decisions always move down, ‘no’ decisions always move left.
- Don't try and fit it all on one page.
As desirable as it is to have your whole process on a page, you may need to compromise readability to achieve it. It’s better to break the process into logical chunks (like optional paths) and link to those using off-page connectors. Breaking up the flowchart also makes it easier to achieve the other two tips!
Here’s a sample flowchart that’s a bit spaghetti-like, with the same flowchart redrawn using tips 1 and 2.
The overriding consideration must always be the needs of the process’s audience. Your flowchart might make sense to you, but it has to make sense to the people who are going to use it.